


Practice Makes Perfect

by HyperKid



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: BeauJes week, Beaujes week 2020, Comfort, Daddy Issues, F/F, Fluff, Painting, commitment issues thy name is Beau, prompt: art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:26:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24261307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperKid/pseuds/HyperKid
Summary: Jester asks Beau to pose for her for a practice portrait on the sea. With nothing to do but think, Beau can’t help reflecting a little on how her life has changed... and who’s helped change it.
Relationships: BeauJes - Relationship, Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett, Lavorregard - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 57





	Practice Makes Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> HK: I did it! I got one! Can I die now?   
> Mollymauk: Sure you’re not going to do another one for the week?   
> HK: Nope but only because I might just... take to the bed like a Victorian lady.   
> Mollymauk: Always a tempting option.   
> HK: Until you get the sleep zoomies.   
> Mollymauk: Until you get the sleep zoomies. 
> 
> WARNINGS!! Little bit of self loathing, some self deprecation 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one and I slept for about an hour at a time all last night so that sucked

“Tilt your chin up, Beau,” Jester directed firmly, squinting between her canvas and her model, her face screwed up and flecked with paint. 

Beau shifted obediently, rebalancing her weight on the railing of the ship and raising her chin. It put her face right into the blinding glare of the sun but she did her best not to flinch. Or squint. 

Knew she’d got it right when Jester made a small, contented noise and bent over her canvas once more, brush moving wildly. 

The tiefling had been worrying about Travelercon again, and this time she was worrying about how to commemorate the event. Not with the cloaks or the figurines, she wanted to be able to capture the moment in a painting... which meant she needed time to practice. Try a couple of new techniques she’d seen on the road. 

Beau was more than happy to offer herself as a willing subject, even though she’d not sat for a portrait in almost fifteen years. Her father had been big on them once, long ago. But around the time she’d turned seven she’d gotten bored of the stiff poses and frozen smiles. They’d tried again of course, when she was a teenager and doing her best to be interested in her father’s work, but it hadn’t stuck. 

She shifted. Shuffled. Got bored far too quickly. 

That was less of a problem these days, and Beau was quietly just a little proud of that. She’d been learning to actually, properly meditate, though not to the point yet where she could do it and keep her balance on a rocking, swaying railing. Fuck, maybe one day she’d have that down too. It couldn’t be impossible. 

Not when she’d been partially responsible for stopping a fucking war. 

A grin stole across her face, and almost immediately Jester’s bright, cheerful voice followed. 

“Oh, that’s perfect! Keep your face just like that for a minute, okay!” 

The smile immediately tried to shift into a grimace, but Beau did her best. Tried to stop it from going wooden the way it almost always fucking did when someone told her to smile. Think about happy things, Fjord always said. 

That’d never been fuckin’ easier either. 

They were on the sea again, sure, but they had a goal. A fixed destination. And they were part of something, something more than themselves, something they’d chosen, something that didn’t fucking suck. Something they’d talked about for months, and now here they were. 

The war was on hold, and unless this journey fucked up real bad... it was over. They’d been invited by a fucking queen. They’d finally done something ~real~. 

And they were together. 

They’d gone home, met her father, and these people had seen right through his “look how reasonable I am” bullshit. They still wanted her. 

Doing her very best to stay still, her gaze flicked over to Jester. 

She still wanted her. 

Now that, Beau’d never understand. She was a shithead, and Jester was.... was... Jester made her own fucking god, was what Jester was. Incredible. Unbelievable. Beautiful, funny, talented, strong, and Beau was an asshole who’d secretly kinda hoped the Gentleman would keep denying her. 

Maybe not hoped? Maybe more expected? But she’d seen how beautifully, gloriously happy Jester had been the morning after they’d spoken to him. The Gentleman was trying for her, and as her girlfriend Beau should have been fucking thrilled. 

Not trying to beat out little motes of jealousy. Not mad at him for being less of a shithead than Beau’s dad. Not just the littlest bit mad that she couldn’t be comforting Jester, the two of them bonding about how dads weren’t shit and they didn’t need them. 

Who the fuck else was she gonna talk about that with? 

She didn’t notice Jester getting closer until two large, strong hands landed on her thighs, jerking her out of her revery to see that soft blue face pinched in worry. 

“I told you to smile, not look mad,” Jester chided her gently, thumbs brushing slowly across fine blue fabric. 

Beau made a face, doing her best to pull up a broad grin again. 

“Sorry Jess. I can do it, no problem.” It must have been wooden and horrible, because Jester just raised an eyebrow at her and didn’t move. 

“What were you thinking about?” She asked quietly, her tail rising to gently stroke Beau’s cheek. Beau almost leaned into the touch before pulling herself back. 

“It’s nothing. Just some stupid shit.” Like fuck was she gonna tell Jester she was mad she’d found her dad. 

Jester wasn’t Caduceus, but she was a long way from fooled. A blue brow rose and Beau had to look away. Fuck, she was so fucking good at lying to people she didn’t give a shit about, why was this so hard? 

“It’s not nothing if it’s bothering you, Beau,” Jester corrected firmly, the point of her tail lifting Beau’s chin to make the human meet her eyes. 

Staring into soft, concerned lilac, Beau could fucking feel herself caving. 

Yeah. 

She was screwed. 

Shaking her head, she managed a smile and leaned in to give Jester a kiss on the nose. 

“It’s not important though. I’ll tell you about it later, you should finish painting while the light’s good.” As a last ditch effort, it fell about as flat as expected. 

“You do know I can see your face, right?” Jester asked, distinctly less than impressed but always with that faint trace of a smile in her voice. It was enough to bring an actual grin back to Beau’s face as her hands came down to cover Jester’s on her thighs. 

“Hey, Fjord says I’m getting better at smiling,” she teased and Jester giggled, leaning up to press a soft kiss to her lips. 

“You are when you mean it,” she agreed, one hand now rising to cup Beau’s cheek. “You’ve been smiling a whole lot more lately. That’s kinda why I worry when you go all sour and scrunchy.” 

Which was fair, honestly. Seeing that Jester wasn’t going to let it go, Beau ran her hand through her hair and sighed. At least she didn’t have to worry about holding her pose. 

“Just... thinkin’ about my dad again. He doesn’t even know I’m here. Doesn’t care. Doesn’t give a fuck what I’m doing now, cuz I’m out of his hair.” Fuck, she hated how bitter her voice sounded, but she couldn’t stop. Couldn’t hide it. 

Jester made a soft noise and pulled her in close immediately, stepping right up to the railing to put them chest to chest. 

“Oh, Beau... he doesn’t deserve to know you.” 

The repetition of her own words back to her dragged a smile to Beau’s face as her arms came up awkwardly to return the hug. 

“Thanks, Jester...” 

“I mean it,” Jester cut her off firmly with a tight squeeze. “He’s just a dick and he doesn’t get to take credit for the totally awesome person you are now. You didn’t get here because of anything he did.” 

She was so vehement, so certain and viciously persistent and Beau couldn’t help melting into her just a little. She made a soft noise of her own that must have passed for agreement because Jester fell silent, just holding her for a long moment. 

“I’m sorry, Beau,” she whispered almost a minute later. Beau considered pretending she hadn’t heard. Leaned harder into her comfort instead, turning her face to press her brow against curved horn. 

“Thank you...” sincerity fucking sucked. Made her feel naked and open and way too fucking vulnerable. She could feel her shoulders wanting to tuck in, curling herself up defensively like the words opened her to a physical blow. 

Jester’s grip tightened for a moment and Beau let herself fall into her instead. She wasn’t weak just because she had feelings. Just because she let Jester know she had them. She was allowed to have a little comfort about her shitty dad. 

One hand began to rub slowly up and down her back in a firm, soothing embrace. 

“When we were going to see your dad...” Jester paused and Beau stiffened just a little, not sure what was coming. “I kinda hoped it would be like when we saw mine. Like, it sucked at first, a whole lot, but I thought... maybe... maybe he’d change. And could talk to you, and say sorry. But he was still super shitty. And I could see how much you hated it there, before we even got into town. And I felt really bad cuz you were so great when I was upset about the Gentleman and then that went so well and then...” her voice trailed off again and then she huffed, squeezing Beau tighter. “I’m really sorry.” 

Beau froze. It was what she’d been thinking, what had bothered her, and exactly what she’d never fucking wanted at all. 

It wasn’t Jester’s fucking fault her dad was a crime lord, smuggler, poisoner, drug dealer, and ~still~ way better at parenting than Beau’s dad about 12 hours in. It wasn’t Beau’s fault either, but that was a little harder to hear. Harder to believe. 

Her hand shook a little in spite of herself as she stroked slowly down Jester’s back. Trying to find the words. 

She was saved from the trouble of looking by Jester stiffening, then giggling. It was such an unexpected reaction, even if for this tiefling... maybe it always should be expected. Jester pulled back, a familiar mischievous glint in her eye as she looked up at Beau. 

“You know, if we get married then the Gentleman will be your dad too. I bet your biodad would love that,” she said, voice full of wicked glee. 

Beau’s whole brain short circuited. A thousand conflicting and conflating thoughts warred for attention, and she could barely pick out the top layer. 

Married. 

If she married Jester. 

They could get married one day. 

Maybe? The very core of Beau’s being shied away from just the thought. It felt... too warm. Too soft, too bright, too close to being a real, actual thing that she could have. The fact that it didn’t scare her more than it did was fucking terrifying. 

The Gentleman would be her dad? 

Honestly, that made a whole lot more sense on a bunch of levels. Beau respected his levels of caution and criminal ingenuity, and the way his organisation worked. He was exactly the kind of guy she’d have wound up working with if she’d stayed home and kept smuggling. 

She’d also kinda enjoy fucking with him around it. He was always so calm and collected, and only Jester ever really seemed to rattle him. Beau’d kinda love calling him “daddy” just to fuck with him while he was trying to be imposing. 

Fuck, she liked her best friend, life partner, girlfriend’s dad one hell of a lot more than her own. That ~sucked~. 

But it’d be so, so, so fucking sweet to shove that under Thoreau’s nose. To really highlight how much he’d fucking failed her, himself, everything really. To show him that a fucking criminal, the kind of man he’d fucking sent her away for associating with, was such a better fucking father. 

The Gentleman was chill; he probably wouldn’t mind putting on a show to fuck with an asshole. Especially if Jester asked. 

Maybe if Marion gave Jester away, the Gentleman could give her away. 

Aaaaand she was thinking about marrying Jester again, about watching that sweet blue face rise from under a veil, that familiar glint of mischief in her eyes. Of proclaiming her love and wrapping herself around her in front of everyone, of telling the world that Jester was ~hers~. It scared the shit out of her how much she wanted that to be true. To be real. 

Back in the real world, Jester’s grin was fading and she was starting to look shy and sheepish. 

“I mean... it was just a thought. Not like we have to ever get married if you don’t want to...” she was talking herself out of it, and even if Beau didn’t want it yet... couldn’t imagine allowing herself to want it yet... she didn’t want Jester to think she couldn’t have it. 

Leaning forwards to pull Jester into a deep kiss was the easiest thing she’d ever done. She could feel her lover brightening in her arms, smile spreading across her lips even as they parted for Beau’s tongue, arms wrapping firmly around her shoulders again. It was easy to keep kissing her, to let herself get lost in that warmth and light where nothing else fucking mattered. 

When the kiss broke, Beau pressed their foreheads together, unable to wipe the broad grin from her face. 

“That’d be fucking amazing, Jester,” she admitted quietly, her own arms tight around the tiefling’s waist. 

Not for right now. But then, they both kinda knew that. It wasn’t something they were ready for yet. 

But it was definitely on the fucking table now. Not something Beau was ever likely to forget. 

Jester beamed up at her, bouncing gently in place with enthusiasm. 

“It’d really show him! And then you and me and the Gentleman could have like, family bonding time! And we could all hang out and you guys could talk about crimes and stuff!” She chattered away excitedly, giving Beau an excited squeeze that almost knocked the air from her lungs. 

Fighting a laugh, Beau did her best to squeeze back. 

“I don’t wanna get in the way of your bonding time,” she assured Jester quickly, leaning into her tiefling’s touch. Jester dismissed the very thought with a wave of her tail, grinning. 

“But we can all bond together! And that’d be even better! You guys already know each other pretty well and we could all hang out with my mama and maybe they’d fall in love again and get married too!” 

And just like that, any future wedding got a lot more complicated. Beau couldn’t help grinning and shaking her head; what else had she expected? Jester was soft, and sweet, and goal oriented as shit and when she decided she wanted something she almost always got it. 

Privately, Beau didn’t think any of her plans to force her parents back together was going to work any more than she thought Thoreau would have a change of heart and be less shit. But if it was what Jester wanted... she’d do her best to be supportive. It was the least she could do. 

Kinda something that had been giving her trouble, lately. 

Shaking her head, Beau pressed another kiss to Jester’s lips and straightened up, grinning. 

“Thanks, Jester. You’re an amazing friend.” 

Jester beamed back like a ray of sunshine, rising up on her toes to steal a kiss for herself. 

“I try, Beau! And so are you,” she said brightly and reached up to pat Beau’s cheeks. “Think we can do a little more painting?” 

Smiling in spite of herself, Beau shifted back into position on the railing, turning and raising her head. 

“Just put me back where you want me,” she agreed, propping an elbow on her knee. 

Jester took a moment to look her over and feel her up, hands skimming gently over every inch of Beau’s skin to “reposition” her. Shameless as ever, she bounced up for one last smooch before skipping back across to her canvas. 

Some of the paint had begun to dry so she took a moment to mix each of them up again, dipping her brush to wash between each colour. She worked quietly for a while, humming under her breath as she painted and glanced up at Beau from time to time, cocking her head for an angle. 

It was a clear day, lightly touched by wind but almost entirely cloudless. Beau did her best not to squint into the sun and let her thoughts wander a little more. 

Yeah. 

She’d never been happier in her life than she was now. And it wouldn’t be taken away from her, at least not by her own hands. 

Her cheeks heated up as she remembered Jester’s response to that particular plan. Her lovely cleric had spanked her ass fucking raw as soon as they had the privacy of a room again, and made her swear that she would never try anything like that again. Smile turning just a little smug, Beau shifted against the wood to see if she could bring back just a little of that sweet ache. 

Her ass had been bruised for the most amazing week of her life. She’d be keeping her promise, but maybe she should do something else to see if she could get another night like that from her tiefling. 

Without pissing her off, of course. 

Beau was beginning to worry that Jester’d be sunburned again by the time the tiefling straightened, surveying her painting for the last time before nodding with a self satisfied smile. 

“Okay! I think I’m done,” she declared happily, tossing her brush into her cup and stepping back. 

Hopping down off the railing, Beau rolled her shoulders and stretched. Holding one position for a while made her stiff and she was looking forward to properly working it out. And seeing what Jester had done, of course. 

“Can I see?” She asked, tugging an arm around as far as it’d go to loosen her shoulders. Some artists didn’t really like to share but she’d never known Jester to be shy. 

Never would, probably. Jester scanned the canvas briefly and nodded happily, turning the canvas around for Beau to see. 

“I still have to finish out the background, but you’re all done!” She declared happily. 

Stepping closer, Beau pulled a double take and nearly fell as the ship rolled across a wave. Stumbled, regained her balance, and just... stared. 

“Jes... why am I naked?” She asked slowly. 

Jester gave her the sweetest, most innocent smile she’d ever seen. It was utterly unconvincing. 

“Because you look so pretty naked, Beau! Do you not like it?” Lilac eyes gleamed with laughter and Beau couldn’t help grinning back. 

“You know I’d have just posed naked for you, right?” She asked with a raised brow. That seemed to catch Jester offguard for a moment and then she laughed, setting the painting down to dry and pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

“I’ll be sure to remember that for next time,” the cleric promised, arms slipping around Beau’s waist again. Beau hugged her back, dropping a kiss on her temple. 

“Wanna go get a snack?” 

Jester nodded, shifting to tuck herself into Beau’s side and grinning up at her. 

“Yeah, okay. And probably some water too,” she agreed as the two began to make their way to the stairs down below. Beau grinned back and gave her a gentle squeeze, dropping a smooch on Jester’s temple. 

“Feeling a little more ready for Travelercon?” She asked gently, and Jester stiffened. Worry flicked across her face for a moment, but settled as she glanced back at her paining and a sort smile snuck across her lips. 

“A little, yeah,” she admitted, leaning in against Beau’s side. Hesitated. 

Beau stilled along with her, a slight frown creeping across her lips. A little concerned still. 

Jester drew in a deep breath as though steeling herself and Beau’s frown deepened. If Jester was having second thoughts... 

But the tiefling looked more certain as she turned to face Beau, staying tucked in close. 

“I just... give the Traveler a chance, okay? I know you said you wanted to protect me, but I’m not a little kid. I can take care of myself. I just... I want you guys to get along.” There was a hint of pleading in her eyes, a little worry, a spark of hope. 

All Beau could think of was Fjord’s voice in memory. 

“Punch him in the face.” 

It was fuckin’ tempting. 

It was exactly the kind of thing Jester would love if they did it anywhere else. 

But she kinda hated seeing even a hint of worry in Jester’s eyes. Hated that thought that Jester would hesitate for even a second before asking her something. 

She didn’t fucking trust Artagan. Didn’t trust for a second that he had Jester’s best interests at heart. He was posing as a god, didn’t tell her who he was, he was a shifty motherfucker and like hell Beau was going to let him hurt her. 

But... he was also her oldest, best friend. 

The guy who’d taught her magic, who’d kept her safe, who gave Jester the power to heal all of them. And Beau really fucking hated the idea that she might be hurting Jester with her suspicions. Sucking in a deep breath, she blew it out in a sigh. 

Wasn’t like she had to actually let her guard down. Just keep her mouth shut. 

“Alright,” she agreed, a smile spreading in spite of herself as Jester let out a happy little squeak. Hell, if it would make her cleric that happy, Beau’d shake the fucker by the hand. Wouldn’t even crush his fingers. “Can I at least tell him I’ll kick his ass if he hurts you, though?” Beau checked, giving her bubbly tiefling a gentle squeeze. 

Jester didn’t even bat a lash, rocking up in place to press an exuberant kiss to Beau’s lips. 

“Yeah, that’s fine! Thank you Beau! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

Unable to do anything but grin back, Beau gave Jester a quick squeeze and started back towards the stairs. 

“Anythin’ for you, Jess.” 

**Author's Note:**

> HK: Alright! Time for a short break I think, and maybe some time to just... crack? Need some crack


End file.
